


Dealing With the Devil

by misura



Category: The Great Game - Dave Duncan
Genre: Faustian Bargain, M/M, Missing Scene, Trust Issues, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-23
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-10-23 02:50:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10710624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: "Really, darling, don't you trust me at all? After everything I did for you?"





	Dealing With the Devil

"Proof!" Dosh demanded.

Tion's expression suggested that Dosh was hurting his feelings. Tion was a liar and a cheat who'd stolen three years of Dosh's life. He was also the patron deity of actors. If he thought Dosh could be taken in by nothing more substantial than a facial expression, he had better think again.

"Really, darling, don't you trust me at all? After everythingl I did for you?"

After everything Tion had done _to_ him, Dosh would have to be a fool to trust his word for anything, and for all that Dosh had been a great many things to a great many people, he'd never been anyone's fool.

"We had a bargain," he said. A lifetime's servitude on Dosh's side in exchange for a moment's work on Tion's - no bargain at all, actually. Still, beggars could not be choosers.

If Dosh spending the rest of his life bowing down to this fake deity meant D'ward would get to have a rest of his life to do with whatsoever he pleased, Dosh was able and willing to stick to that agreement.

If Tion had failed to uphold his part of the deal, Dosh would try and see if maybe he, too, possessed the ability to bring death to a god. Likely, he'd die in the attempt. Dosh doubted his passing would be mourned overmuch by anyone, though, so that was all right.

"My word is not good enough for you?" Tion sighed mournfully. "That really does put me in a bit of an awkward situation, dear Dosh. You don't think it was at all easy, do you, sneaking behind everyone's back like that? Making them all believe Zath had actually gotten him?"

Dosh was willing to believe that it had required an effort for Tion to keep his promise. Or rather, as the case might be, that in order for Tion to stick to their bargain, an effort would have been required. It was entirely possible that this effort would have been a considerable one.

Well, and why not? Tion would get Dosh, and as any of his former masters might agree, Dosh was not cheap.

"And now you are telling me that doing all that was not enough, that I should have wasted precious time on obtaining proof?" Tion shook his head. "You're being rather unreasonable, darling. Now, I shan't accuse you of trying to wriggle out of our deal, because I know you would never do such a thing, but even so. Appearances are not in your favor. You do see that, don't you?"

And whom would a god appeal to, Dosh would like to know.

Much more likely, Tion deciding Dosh was trying to cheat him would result in Tion striking him dead on the spot. Let him, if he wished; Dosh would be happy to try and see what his next life held in store for him.

"All I see is a complete lack of any proof whatsoever that you did what was agreed," he said. If D'ward was dead, Dosh had nothing left to lose. "They found his body!"

Tion dismissed this sensible observation with an airy wave of his hand. "Sleight of hand, dear. Trickery. Of course there had to be a body; it's not as if he was annihilated. Merely crushed to death. For there to not have been a body would have looked awfully suspicious."

Dosh considered. The problem was that Tion did have a point. In the end, it all boilt down to trust.

"So where did you take him? If he's alive, why hasn't anyone seen him?"

A stupid question; if D'ward had been seen, people would have talked. Worse, people would have _believed_. Tion might have been fine saving D'ward's life, but not at the expense of his own power, his own worshippers.

"I sent him home, of course," Tion said, probably knowing Dosh's second question required no reply.

"Home." Dosh knew little about the world D'ward had come from. D'ward had not seemed inclined to talk about the place - or not to Dosh, at any rate.

"It's really not the sort of place one can drop by for a quick visit," said Tion. "Not hospitable at all!"

What Tion meant was that his powers wouldn't work there. People might worship him as a god here, but in D'ward's world, he would be an ordinary man, like Dosh.

Well, not quite like Dosh, perhaps. Dosh was very attractive and charming.

"I suppose that I could try to summon his image." Tion looked thoughtful. "Would that suffice to allay your unfounded suspicions? Delightful as it is to talk to you, darling Dosh, I really had some other activities planned as well, and, if you'll forgive me for saying so, you're not getting any younger."

Dosh would be an old man in another ten, twenty years. He was middle-aged now; still in possession of his good looks and winning personality. The latter would never fade; the first, all too soon.

A lifetime's service would thus probably boil down to considerably less time than the rest of his life - unless Tion needed someone to do his cooking and cleaning, which seemed unlikely.

Even if he did, Tion was still considered a god. Plenty of young men and women would view it as an honor to serve him in whatever capacity he wished.

Dosh had been one of them, once.

"All right," he heard himself say. "Fine."

Was Tion just peeved at Dosh no longer blindly adoring him? Had that been what had decided him on their bargain? The more Dosh thought about it, the less sense it made for Tion to agree to it - unless he was missing something.

"An excellent choice, dear," Tion approved. It occurred to Dosh that there was no way for him to know whether or not what Tion showed him would truly be an image of D'ward. It might as well be an illusion, like the body they had found in the rubble of Zath's temple.

Or not like the body, if it had really been D'ward.

"Give me a moment - it's been a long time since I did this. Still, it's like riding a dragon; once you know how, you never forget. Ah! There we go! Oh, good timing!"

It took Dosh a while to recognize the woman. He had only ever seen her fully dressed.

Tion chuckled. "Not very inventive, but you must give them points for enthusiasm."

Dosh wasn't used to being rendered speechless, especially not by watching something he'd seen and done often enough himself. He did not enjoy the experience.

"Poor Dosh," Tion said, not sounding the least sincere. "Not jealous, are you?"

D'ward had shown Dosh that there was more to life than using and being used. Had he asked, or shown the least inclination in that direction, Dosh would have been happy to - more than happy to -

But D'ward hadn't, and so Dosh had resigned himself to it never happening, taking comfort in the fact that it wasn't happening with anyone else, either.

Either he was less observant than he'd always assumed, or this was a very recent development.

"Stop." Dosh found himself capable of shaping words again. "Enough. I believe you."

"Are you sure? He does have his charms, doesn't he? A well-made young man if ever there was one." Tion sounded gleeful, smug. "Lucky girl!"

Dosh wondered what it would feel like to bloody a divine nose. "I said 'stop'."

"I believe you are confusing our roles, my dear Dosh," Tion said. "Starting your lifetime's servitude by trying to order me around? I would have thought more highly of your intelligence than that."

Dosh turned away. It took an effort. It surprised him that when he glanced back, he found Tion studying _him_ , rather than the image, which seemed to be fading, as if withering for lack of attention.

"You really want me to act like your devoted slave? Because I can do that, if that's your wish." It would kill him, to pretend he still worshipped Tion as the summit of all that was beautiful and pleasing to the senses. Still, a promise was a promise. Dosh would be a man of his word.

Tion batted his lashes, looking coy. "I have many wishes, Dosh. And high expectations. I only hope that you will be capable of living up to them."

"Try me," Dosh dared. Feeling like a fool the moment he'd said it.

Tion smirked. "Trust me, I will. Oh, but this will be fun, darling! For both of us, I'm sure."

Dosh wouldn't have bet money on it, or even his next meal, but he supposed that there was no point in saying so. Besides, he might be wrong.

Miracles did happen, after all.


End file.
